


Second Chance

by stratataisen



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics), Justice League 3000
Genre: Angst, Donuts, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-14
Updated: 2015-03-14
Packaged: 2018-03-17 21:09:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3543860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stratataisen/pseuds/stratataisen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry thinks about his new 'life' and what that means. And come to some realizations about Hal over coffee and donuts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Second Chance

**Author's Note:**

> OMFG this took me fucking FOREVER to finish! o.O I want to thank deandraws and ruensroad for bugging the hell out of them for (and teasing to death with) this fic. I’m just so glad it’s done! @_@ (yes I know I am silly for bitching about a fic this long when people of done multiple chapters 10 times this size, shush I say.)
> 
> Beta’d by Ruen <3
> 
> Enjoy…..*goes to hid in a corner*

Barry rubbed the back of his neck as he punched in the code to his room, massaging away the knots that were trying to form.  It had been a long day; all he wanted was some alone time, maybe even a hot shower and long nap.  Shrugging out of the upper part of his costume, he tossed it on the bed with his mask and goggles following close behind.  He walked towards the adjoining bathroom, arms up over his head and shoulders rolling as he stretched. 

A flash of red caught his eye as he entered the room and he suddenly found himself gazing at his reflection when he turned towards it.  He stopped and frowned, reaching out to place a hand on the mirror where his face was reflecting.  The red hair and green eyes was something he still hadn’t gotten used to, and probably never would.  He hated it really, what it stood for, what it meant.  A physical reminder that he might not be the man he remembered himself being.  Sometimes, well most of the time really, he wondered _what_ he was.  A clone with fabricated memories based on what these people thought they knew of the Flash?  Maybe a soulless, scientific abomination with fragmented memories?  That _would_ probably explain his lack of Friction Aura…..no, neither explained why he _knew_ he was supposed to be have blonde hair and blue eyes when all of the Project’s staff seemed so certain that the records of the Flash being a green eyed redhead were correct.  Although, that technically wasn’t untrue since…

Barry let out a long breath and shook his head.  He had to stop thinking about this; he could already feel the beginnings of a stress headache forming behind his brow.  What he needed was a distraction, something to take his mind off of this subject.  A shower, a shower sounded like a godsend right then.  It was something that could relieve the tension of the day and, hopefully, clear his head.  Moving to the panel next to the shower, he programmed the water to run just short of skin scalding.  He stripped off the rest of his costume and stepped in under the hot spray.  Letting out an audible groan, Barry leaned forward with his hands on the opposite wall; head hung low as he let the almost scalding water pelted his back, relieving some of tension that had been building up.

The multi-green tiled wall stared back at him when he looked up, his thumb absently running over a particular one whose shade of green reminded him of Hal’s cloak.  The small smile graced his lips before he could stop it when he thought of the other man, not that he really tried to stop it.  The ‘reborn’ Green Lantern was the most stable out of the five of them, in Barry’s opinion.  He almost didn’t seem fazed by everything that was going on….well, that wasn’t exactly true; Hal was still miffed about the whole ‘no you don’t have a power ring anymore, here take this power cloak instead’ thing.  To Barry, the man was like an anchor, keeping him grounded most of the time and making this life far more enjoyable and bearable.  The speedster considered him a friend….

_“Hey… **We’re** still best friends, right?”_

_“ **Are** we?  Or are we just programmed to **think** we are?”_

Barry cringed as he remembered that conversation.  He was going to have to apologize for that.  The pained look on Hal’s face after he’d said that may have been there for only an instant, but for someone like Barry, it had painted the Lantern’s face for what seemed like a relative eternity, making the speedster’s stomach twist in guilt.  He should have never let those words leave his mouth; Hal _was_ his friend.  Hell, Hal was his _best_ friend…..and if Barry was truly honesty with himself, he saw him as more than his best friend. 

When he woke up in this century, there were two things that Barry was absolutely certain of; well three really.  The first was that the Twins were fucking insane.  The second was that Hal Jordan was his best friend.  And the third was….that Barry Allen was in love with his best friend.  He _always_ had been if his limited memories gave him any indication.  But he had never said a word back then, too afraid to risk their friendship over it.  A part of him regretted never telling him, and he constantly wondered what could have happened if he had. 

He should probably say something now that he had a second chance to…but…no, even with the regret, it would be better for everyone if Barry didn’t let his silly crush complicate things.  Especially since—

“Are you trying to drown yourself in there, Barry?”

The speedster jumped about a foot in the air, completely startled out of his thoughts.  Quickly, he moved to poke his head out of the shower stall.  “Hal?”  Speak of the devil.  Leaning against his bathroom doorway was one amused looking Green Lantern, who, Barry noted, was lacking his cloak.  “What the hell?”

“Wanted to see if you’d like some company,” the other man chuckled. 

“I really don-“

“Plus, I brought coffee and donuts.”

At the mention of the sugary pastry, Barry’s stomach growled, which only served to widen the amused grin on Hal’s lips.  Barry hoped his blush wasn’t too visible to the other as he ducked back into the shower.  “Hmph.  I’ll be right out.”

Barry stayed under the water a few moments longer until he could hear the soft padding of footsteps, indicating that Hal had moved away from the door.  The last thing he needed was to have the man who occupied the majority of his thoughts watching him naked in the bathroom, which his brain was more than happy to supply several scenarios as to what could happen if the Lantern had.  Barry quickly punched the button for the cold water, and hissed at the sudden contrast on his heated skin.  But it did its job and swiftly kicked any reaction out the door.   Pressing another button on the panel to shut off the water, he stepped out of the tiled room and grabbed a towel.  

Drying off, he paused next to the pile of clothes on the floor and looked down at them.  It would be absolutely silly for him to put them back on; they were filthy and probably smelled and it would make the shower he just took completely moot.  But his only other option was walking out in just a towel… or completely naked, which _wasn’t_ an option in any situation, the rational part of his brain reminded him.  He silently weighed his options for a moment before sighing and wrapping the towel around his waist.  Barry walked into the bedroom and stopped right past the threshold; Hal had moved to one the chairs that sat around a small table set.  He looked up and smiled around his mug of coffee when their eyes met.  Barry looked from him to his ‘locked’ door, then back again to the Green Lantern sitting at the table. “Wasn’t that door locked?”

“It was,” came the short, smug reply.

“And _how_ did you managed to get in?”  Barry asked, arms crossing as he tried to forget that he was standing in his bedroom with nothing but a towel in front of the man that tended to plague his more….erotic dreams.  The same man who was currently staring at him with a delightful little smirk across his lips.  Lips that Barry wouldn’t mind in the least brushing against his own or other parts of his body for that matter….. _that_ particular line of thinking was going to get him into so much trouble.

“That would be telling.” 

Barry let out a frustrated growl while Hal just continued to look at him smugly, sipping at his coffee.  A faint glow suddenly caught Barry’s attention and a quick glance towards his bed revealed where the other man’s cloak was.  That told him what was used to break in, but not how, and Barry was fairly certain that was the best answer he was going to get.  Shaking his head, he walked past the table and the Green Lantern sitting at it, snagging a chocolate cake donut from the box along the way, and headed towards his closet.

He didn’t have much in the way of civilian wear; he mostly just wore his costume everywhere, what his did have was used mainly for sleeping in or just lounging about his room.  His hand hesitated at the towel for a moment before he cast a quick glance towards Hal; the other man had his back to him, allowing Barry some privacy to change.  A soft sigh left his lips but he couldn’t tell if it was for relief or disappointment.  The speedster placed the donut in his mouth and held it there as he quickly undid the towel and changed into a pair of loose fitting pants and a sleeveless shirt.

“Thank you, for the donuts.” The speedster said when he finally removed said object out of his mouth, taking another bite.  He sat down next to the other man, accepting the mug of coffee that was handed to him with a small smile

“I saw them and thought of you.  I remembered how much you loved them,”  The Lantern said with a chuckle in his voice and a smile across his lips.

The fact that the simple sugary pastry reminded Hal of him made Barry’s stomach flutter and caused a blush to stain his cheeks.  He quickly tired to cover it by taking a gulp of his coffee and finishing off the donut in his hand.  Reaching towards the white box on the table, Barry picked out another, choosing a jelly filled one this time around. 

“Thanks…but how did you….never mind.”

Hal canted his head to the side, the movement causing a few strands of slicked back hair to slide out of place.  Barry’s eyes followed those strands briefly before moving his focus back on the man they were attached to. 

“How did I what?”

The speedster fidgeted in his chair.  “It’s nothing.”

“Barry.”

“Really.  Just…forget I said….” Barry trailed off as he took in the look on Hal’s face.  There would be no getting out of this without finishing the sentence he had started it would seem.  Sighing, Barry rubbed at the back of his neck in a nervous gesture before giving in. “How did you…How did you know I would _still_ like them?”

Hal frowned and raised an eyebrow at that, opening his mouth to comment but was cut off before he could say anything.

“I know, I know.  I’m being pessimistic again and I’m trying not to be but……..”  Barry sighed, setting his coffee down and leaning forward.  He placed his elbows on his knees, resting his head in his hands.  “I don’t know….it’s just…..it’s just every time something reminds me of the old days, my brain starts going though the ‘What am I? Who am I? Why am I?-“  Barry looked up when Hal started laughing, a red eyebrow raised.  “What?”

“Sorry, sorry.  I’m not laughing at you, really.  It’s just….’Why are you?’”  The Green Lantern couldn’t keep another bout of laughter down, holding up his hands when Barry started to glare at him.  “Sorry…but do you seriously ask yourself that? Heehehe.”

“No, I usually just panic.”  Barry swatted at Hal, a pout forming on his lips.  “I’m sorry I can’t be fearless and worry free like you, you jerk.”

That only made Hal laugh even louder.  “You think I’m worry free?”

 “Aren’t you?  You never seem particularly bothered by all of this.”  The speedster frowned, waving a hand about, indicating the two of them, the facility, and the Project.

Hal calmed his laughter before placing his hands on Barry’s shoulders close to the redhead’s neck and squeezed gently, giving him a big smile.  “That’s because I have friends like you with me to keep me sane.  But I do worry, I do stress out, I just don’t let it show much…maybe I compartmentalize things better than most.”

The hands on his shoulders caused a shiver to run through his body, one that he hoped the green clad man couldn’t feel.  The gentle pressure was nice, comforting really, and the thumbs drawing small circles near his neck made him relax a little.  He looked up into Hal’s emerald hued eyes, studying them.  He missed the warm brown they used to be, but the green was kind of nice.  The speedster’s study of his friend’s eyes moved to the face they were attached to.  Hal was still as handsome as ever, his cheekbones were sharper and more defined then before, but he still had that over all attractive appeal to him. 

A small blush formed on Barry’s cheeks when he realized he was staring, but he couldn’t seem to rip his eyes away and Hal didn’t seem to notice, which only encouraged him to continue his ogling.  In fact the man had started talking again, but the speedster wasn’t really paying attention to what was being said. He was more focused on those lips as they moved.  There was a small smudge of chocolate at the corner of the Green Lantern’s mouth, and for some reason it made Hal’s lips look all the more kissable.

Apparently the rest of Barry’s body agreed, because he soon found himself leaning forward without thinking. He reached up and grabbed the back of Hal’s neck, pressing their lips together.  The other man froze and the hands on his shoulders tightened.  There was a sharp, shaky intake of air though Hal’s nose when Barry’s tongue snaked out and cleaned up the chocolate stained lips.

It was around the time the taste of chocolate and coffee creamer hit Barry’s taste buds that his brain decided to catch up with him.  He reared back suddenly as if burned, slipping out of Hal’s grasp.  Barry’s heart was pounding in his chest so hard that he was pretty sure it would burst through his ribcage any moment.  Oh fuck, what did he _do_?  

“Oh my God!  I-I- _oh hell!_ ”  He placed a hand over his mouth and looked away from Hal.  “Shit! Shit shit shit!”

“Barry?” Hal tried to reach out for him, seemingly more concerned by Barry’s reaction than being kissed by the man.  Barry, however, didn’t seem to notice.  He turned away from the outstretched hand, putting more distance between them.  “Hey, wait a minute! Barry!”

The redhead wasn’t listening; his mind was reeling.  Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.  He probably just messed up the only good thing he had in this place with such a stupid, careless action.  He didn’t want to be here anymore, he didn’t want to see the repulsion and hate in Hal’s eyes.  To know that he would never be considered the man’s friend any longer.  He loved being Hal’s friend as much as he loved Hal, but now that was ruined.  He’d fucked it all up in a matter of seconds.  His instincts were telling him to run, and that’s what he was going to do.

Barry made for the door, about to turn on the superspeed when a sudden flash of green light enveloped him.  Barry soon found himself tightly wrapped up in Hal’s cloak, floating a few good inches off the ground and effectively cutting off any means of escape.  He struggled against the cloth, trying to get loose. 

“Letmego.”

“No,” Hal said firmly, standing in front of him with his arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his face.

“Hal, please!”  The speedster struggled against the green cloak again to no avail; it wouldn’t budge.  “Just let me-“

“I’m not letting you go,” Hal cut him off, tightening the cloak ever so slightly to emphasize his point.  “Not until you tell me what the hell has you freaking out like this.”

 Barry lifted his head and looked at the Green Lantern like his face had fallen off.  “Are you serious?”

“Of course I’m-Wait, is this about the kiss?”

If Barry had been able to, he would have smacked the man upside his head.  “What else would it be about?!”

“I don’t know.  That’s why I’m confused as to why you started flipping out.”  Hal shrugged, scratching the back of his head.  “I mean, I know I’m out of practice by a couple of centuries, but I don’t think I’m _that_ horrible of a kisser. Plus you did only give me two seconds to react…”

“I would hit you right now if……hold on, back up…what?  Are you saying you’re _not_ upset about me kissing you?”

Hal looked at him like that was the most ridiculous thing he had ever been asked.  “Why would I be upset!?”

"Oh, geez Hal, I don’t know. Because you’re not interested in men? Because you’re not interested period? WHY WOULDN-"

Barry was cut off mid-rant by the firm press of a gloved hand over his mouth.  He looked up at Hal, brows furrowing together in confusion.

“You’re so certain of that, Barry?” Hal asked, his voice barely a whisper.  “That I’m not interested?  That I’m not in love with you?”

Barry froze, still as a statue.  He didn’t blink, he didn’t breathe.  He just stared at the man before him, eyes wide and heart racing with a glimmer of hope that he never dared before have.  He stared into emerald green eyes, searching for any hint that Hal might be pulling his leg, but he saw none.  All he saw was the Lantern being more serious about anything then he could ever remember. 

When Hal removed his hand from Barry’s mouth, he said in a stuttered breath, “Y-you’re serious.”

“Yes.”  Hal smiled softly as he moved his hand to the speedster’s neck, thumb tracing along his jawline.

“Oh God…I-I didn’t….I never thought…” Barry leaned forward planting his forehead on Hal’s shoulder, slumping against the restraints of the cloak wrapped around him. “God, I am such an idiot.”

The Lantern chuckled as he weaved his fingers through ginger strands, his other arm sliding around Barry, pulling the speedster in closer as he willed the cloak away. “Yeah well, if it makes you feel any better, I’m one too.  I didn’t know _you_ would ever be interested in _me_.”

When finally released from the green cloth, Barry wrapped his arms around Hal’s waist.  He turned his face into Hal’s neck and slowly breathed in his scent.  God, he smelled good.  “Well, I am interested.  I have been for a long while.”

“Oh yeah?”  Hal asked, and Barry swore he could hear the cocky grin in his voice.  “For how long?”

“Since we first met.”  Hal went still beneath Barry’s cheek and he frowned at that.  He raised his head from the man’s shoulder “Hal?”

“You…You mean from back then?”  Hal was looking at him wide eyed, and seemed to be holding his breath.

The redhead blushed and looked away.  “Yeah….I-I never said anything because I didn’t want to lose you as a friend.”

Hal stared at him for a few more moments before bursting into laughter.  ”We’ve been idiots, haven’t we?”

Barry raised an eyebrow at that, eyeing the brunet cautiously.  “I thought we already established that.”

“No I mean _before_. We’ve been idiots for way too long.”  Hal smiled and pulled Barry into a tight hug, holding him as close as possible.  “ _I_ never said anything to _you_ either, back then, because I didn’t want to lose you as a friend.”

It was Barry’s turn to stare before laughing.  “Wow, you are right, we’ve been idiots.  Foolish, blind idiots.”

"Then I guess we’ve got some catching up to do." Hal grinned and leaned in, capturing Barry’s lips in a kiss.

Barry laughed into the kiss briefly before kissing the emerald knight back eagerly, lips moving across each other, teeth nipping at his lower lip.  The kiss was perfect……and out of practice, Barry’s ass.


End file.
